Car door mechanism



April 29, 1969 R. J. OLANDER 3,440,682

CAR DOOR MECHANISM FiledNov. 5, 1965 Sheet of 4 Fo /and J /ande/f BY @ZA/ann 77% maf R. J. OLANDER CAR DOOR MECHANISM INVENTOR A70/afm J. /a/za/e' April 29, 1969 Filed Nov.

April 29, 1969 R. J. OLANDER 3,440,682

CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Nov. s, 1965 sheet 5 of 4 INVENTOR. Po /and J.' /dnde gmfw April 29, 1969 R. J. OLANDER 3,440,682

CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Nov. 5, 1965 sheet 4 of 4 INVENTOR /LFo/ana J O/ande/ BY/wm/mu/ United States Patent O 3,440,682 CAR DOGR MECHANISM Roland J. Olander, La Grange, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 506,541 Int. Cl. Ed 13/02 U.S. Cl. 16-99 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism for raising a door of a railway car or the like normally supported on its 'bottom edge onto rollers for sliding movement along a track and having a pair of rollers pivotally supported on the lower portion of the door at opposite side edges of same and manually actuated operating means associated with each of said rollers, either of which may be actuated to simultaneously lower both rollers to raise the door. The operating means may aiutomatically retain the door in its raised position until actuated in reverse. A third intermediate roller may be pivotally mounted on the door to tilt same in the direction of its sliding movement.

This invention relates in general to railway car door lifting and moving mechanisms and more particularly to a railway car door lifting and moving mechanism adapted to be operated by either one of a pair of handles disposed at opposite ends of the car door.

Railway car doors, in many instances, are provided with rollers which, after the `doors have been moved into their desired positions, open or closed, are normally retracted into the doors whereby the doors rest directly on the frame structure with their weight holding same firmly in position. In order to move a door of this type, the rollers must first be forced downwardly against the car frame structure to raise the door until same is supported on the rollers. For this reason, lifting and moving mechanisms or roller assemblies are employed in the doors to permit same to be lifted onto their rollers and lowered therefrom by means of a handle extending from the side uf the doors. After the doors are raised and supported on the rollers, they may be moved in the desired direction.

As may be appreciated, this presents a rather diflicult and arduous task which is further complicated in the case of multiple doors, such as are found on all-door railway cars, by the necessity of the attendant to walk a considerable distance =between the handles of the respective doors in order to lactuate the mechanisms.

In order to overcome these problems, the present invenion provides cam operated roller assemblies for the doors which are operable by either one of a pair of handles placed at the opposite ends of each door. Furthermore, the present invention provides for operation of the handles in a direction corresponding to the desired movement of the doors so that the thrust lapplied to the handle for actuating the door lifting mechanism may also be advantageously applied to the handle for moving the door. In addition the present invention contemplates a simple arrangement for locking the doors in their raised position, thus permitting the attendant to concentrate his attention lon moving the door. This invention also contemplates the use of a roller assembly for tilting the doors between several rollers thereby advantageously utilizing the weight of the door for moving same.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved railway car door lifting and moving mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide V a railway car door lifting and moving mechanism which may be operated from either end of the door.

It is still another object to provide a railway car door lifting arrangement having a handle which may be operated in either of two directions to lift the door while also serving to thrust the door in a corresponding direction.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for locking railway car doors in their raised position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved car door lifting arrangement whereby the door is tilted on its rollers for more advantageously moving same,

Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent upon examination of the following specification, claims and drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a partially broken elevational view illustrating a railway car door, together with the mechanism for lifting and moving the same;

FIG, 2 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the door lifting and moving mechanism of FIGS. 1-5 in its door-lifted condition;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating a modified form of railway card door lifting arrangement for advantageously balancing the door for movement in a desired direction; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the door lifting mechanism shown in FIG. 7 in its door-lifted condition.

In the drawings, a railway car door for a multiple door or all-door railway car 10, for example, is illustrated generally by the reference character 11. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the door 11 is shown broken and is comprised of a vertical panel 12 whose upper end 14 is provided with a cap 16 which bears against the inner surface of a structural member 17 of the car frame, the door 11 being permitted to move la limited distance upwardly relative to the structural member 17. A generally U-shaped housing 18 comprised of outer and inner vertical panels 20 and 22, respectively, and a bottom connecting portion 24 iixedly embraces at its upper end the lower edge of the door panel 12. The panels 20 and 22 are spaced apa-rt =a distance sufficient to accommodate a pair of roller operating assemblies 26 positioned adjacent opposite ends of the car door 11. The upper end of panel 20 is provided with a portion 27 which is oiTset inwardly to seat against the outer surface of the lower edge of the door panel 12 while the panel 22 seats against the inner surface of the lower edge of the panel as seen in FIG. 2.

Each roller operating assembly 26 is provided with an operating handle 28 which is secured at its lower end on a stub shaft 30 which is journalled in the housing 18 by `bushings 32 mounted on the panels 20 and 22. A cam 34 is secured on each stub shaft 30 between the panels 20 and 22. A pin 36 is mounted in the upper portion of each cam 34 and a connecting link 38 has its opposite ends pivotally connected to the two pins 36 whereby to interconnect the two roller operating assemblies '26. The connecting link 38 is characterized by -a pair of spaced apart identical links 40 which are pivotally mounted between the projecting ends of the two pins 36 whereby to permit movement of the cams 34 between the links 40.

Each cam 34 is provided with an indentation 42 in its bottom edge in alignment with a plane passing through the axes of the shaft 30 and the pin 36. Extending in opposite directions from the indentation 42 are identical camming faces 44 and 46, each terminating in a locking face defined by flange-like portions 48 and 50.

Each cam 34 has Ia cam follower 52 associated therewith, which cam follower is mounted in a carrier 53 disposed within the housing 18 and characterized by a pair of spaced apart plates 56. The plates 56 are retained in their spaced apart relationship by a series of transverse brace members 70, 71 and 72. Each cam follower 52 is rotatably supported on a pin 54 mounted in one end of the carrier 53. The carrier 53 also carries a pin 58 which rotatably supports fa car door roller 60 in a bushing `62 intermediate the ends of the carrier. An aperture 64, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided in the bottom portion 24 of the housing 18 directly below each roller 60 to permit same to move through the bottom of the housing 18 for engagement with a bottom roller track 61 of the car frame structure in a conventional manner. The other end of each carrier 53 is pivotally suspended from a pin `66 mounted in the panels 20 and 22 adjacent the lower corners of the housing 18.

Conventional spring means (not shown) may be provided for biasing the carriers 53 upwardly to aid in retaining the cam followers 52 in contacting engagement with the cams 34 to prevent undesirable rattling and possible damage to the parts.

To operate the roller assemblies 26 the attendant simply grasps the handle 28 at the side of the door 11 to which he has most immediate access, and pivots the handle 28 in a direction corresponding to that in which he desires the door to move until the handle is generally horizontal, as seen in FIG. 6, whereby to raise the door 11 up on its rollers 60 with the force being applied to the handle also serving to roll the door in the desired direction.

Upon actuating the handle 28, the cams 34 are pivoted with the cam followers 52 riding along either face 44 or 46, depending upon the direction in which the handle was rotated, until the followers 52 engage either locking face 48 or 50. The followers 52 are pushed downward as they follow the faces 44 and 46, whereby the carriers 53 are pivoted downwardly about the pins 66 to lower the rollers 60 through the apertures 64. As the rollers 60 engage the track 61, the door 11 is raised, by means of the leverage exerted on the pins 66, above the level of the track 61 so that same is supported on the rollers 60. Thereafter the followers 52 move 'adjacent the locking faces 48 or S0 into indented locking positions and, as seen in FIG. 6, thus prevent the door 11 from shifting downwardly from casual applications of force to the roller 'assemblies 26.

During movement of either cam follower 52, the connecting link 40 is pulled in the direction of movement of the handle 28 in response to movement of the associated cam 34 whereby this same movement is transferred through the link 40 to the other cam 34. The follower 52 associated with the other cam 34 is therefore also moved in the corresponding direction so that both of the rollers 60 simultaneously descend through their respective apertures 64 whereby to raise and support the door 11 at both its ends.

With the door 11 raised and locked in its raised position, thrust maybe exerted along the axis of the handle 28 in the desired direction of movement. This thrust may also be exerted in a smooth action as part of the raising or lifting force, and need actually not await the locking action between the cams 34 and the followers 52. With the 'door 11 locked in its raised position, however, the attendant need not be overly concerned with maintaining the door in said position and may direct his main attention to moving the door.

After the door 11 has been moved to its desired position, opened or closed, the handle 28 is pivoted back to its upright position, thereby causing the cam 34 to return to its normal door-lowered position and, by means of the link 40, causing the other cam 34 to follow its return movement. The followers 52 retrace their former movement over the cam surfaces 44 or 46 to lower the door and bring it to rest on the roller track 61. As the followers 52 move toward the indentations 42 in the cams 34, the pressure on the assemblies is relieved, thereby retracting the rollers 60 into the housing 18.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an additional roller assembly 74 is mounted in the houing 18 intermediate the two assemblies 26 of which only one is shown. The two assemblies 26 are interconnected by a link 76 which functions as link 40 did in FIG. l, but is provided with a depending flange structure 78 thereon.

A pin 80 located in the flange structure 78 is pivotally connected to a cam 82 which is adapted to rotate about a pin 83. A cam follower 84 is adapted to follow the movement of cam 82 in a manner similar to that as described for the other followers 52. The follower 84 is turn controls the carrier 86 which carries a roller 88. As seen in FIG. 8, the carrier 86 is pivotable downwardly about a pivot pin 90 in response to the rotation of cam 82 by the link 76, thereby pushing the roller 88 into engagement with the roller track 61 whereby same aids in raising and supporting the door 11.

It will therefore be apparent that the elements of the assembly 74 are generally similar to those of the assemblies 26 with the exception that either the cam follower 84 or the cam 82, or if desired the roller 88, is proportioned whereby the roller 88 will engage the roller track 61 before the other rollers 60. Thus, when the cam followers 62 and 84 are in their operated position, as shown in FIG. 8, the center of the door 11 will be slightly higher than one of the ends, as indicated by lines 94 representing the lower edge of the door, whereby the door may be tilted toward one side or the other as desired by the application of a slight manual pressure. With the door 11 tilted in this fashion, the force necessary to move the door is considerably diminished and it is easily pushed to the desred location and lowered in a manner similar to that previously explained.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A car door lifting mechanism comprising, in combination:

(a) a pair of roller mechanisms mounted in the door along its lower edge, one at each end thereof, said roller mechanisms normally being in an upwardly retracted position whereby said door is supported directly on its lower edge, said roller mechanisms each comprising a carrier pivotally mounted on the lower edge of said door and having mounted thereon a cam follower and a roller for supporting the door,

(b) a pair of operating means associated with each roller mechanism with each operating means having a manually operable handle associated therewith for lowering said roller mechanisms relative to said door whereby to raise said door until same is supported directly on said roller mechanisms, said operating means each comprising a cam member moutned on the lower edge of said door in engagement with said cam follower of one of said roller mechanisms and for pivoting movement upon actuation of either of said handles, said parts being arranged such that the movement imparted to said cam followers by said cam members upon actuation of either handle simultaneously pivots said rollers downwardly relative to said door whereby to raise said door,

(c) linkage means interconnecting said pair of operating mechanisms whereby both operating means are simultaneously actuated upon actuation of either of said handles,

(d) a third roller mechanism pivotally mounted on the lower edge of said door intermediate said pair of roller mechanisms, and

(e) a third cam member for actuating said third roller mechanism pivotally mounted on the lower edge of said door and connected to said linkage means in a manner such the movement of said linkage means in either direction during actuation of said pair of operating means pivots said third cam member so that said third roller mechanism is simultaneously lowered with said pair of roller mechanisms at opposite ends of the door.

2. A car door lifting mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said third roller mechanism and said third cam member are arranged so that said third roller mechanism is lowered further than said pair of roller mechanisms at the opposite ends of said door whereby said door will readily tilt in the direction of sliding movement thereof whereby to facilitate sliding same.

3. A cai door lifting mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said third cam member is characterized by a pair of symmetrical cam surfaces each of which terminates in a locking face.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Towensend 16-99 Hennessey 16-99 Cookingham et al. 16--99 Rop 292-332 Jacobson 292-229 Heinen et al.

Beauchamp.

Ditchield.

Shields.

Schoffner.

Muehl.

15 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

